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Magic
Magic, magical energy, or true magic'' (as opposed to stage magicians and illusionists) is an observed phenomena that allows certain individuals to bend the rules of science and reality to a limited degree for a temporary period of time. Magic has been observed in only a limited percentage of the Human population (about one to two in every 200 individuals) but nonetheless is clearly documented and an integral part of contemporary world politics and everyday life. The few individuals able to control magic and to project such powers are able to do so via a channeling device such as a wand, scepter, or staff, all of which rely on the exotic material Red Matter (Rm) to function. Some vehicles, weaponry, and technology are powered by Rm, and require magically-inclined individuals to operate. History Human discovery of magical energy manipulation Magic usage was for the most part extremely limited throughout pre-industrial history. Since all magic requires a catalyst in the form of Red Matter within a channeling device, few were able to construct such tools that would be able to successfully contain the substance, which was difficult to obtain in the first place. The first known usage of magic coincided with the first known successful containment of Red Matter in the 11th century. Ancient wizards such as Merlin were one of the first that successfully contained Areum. Ancient runes and rituals came into use as a method in which to control and practice magic. Due to the complexity of magic and the requirement of specific intent to perform it, runes initially served as instructions to be read, and rituals as procedures to carry them out. Chanting often helped users concentrate on what they were doing, and became a stereotype of wizards and mages, as did spellbooks and runic circles, which were often simply lines drawn in the ground to measure the radius of their area of effect, otherwise known as the Red Line. Runes were used to bind their specific intentions to magical items through the written words, using symbols and shapes. Throughout the following centuries the supernatural tended to be practiced by select individuals belonging to secretive magical wizarding communities. As religious institutions rose to power, there was prevalent persecution, if not outright hostile attitudes towards wizards by non-magical humans. Organized efforts were made to purge practitioners of magic, by the Catholic churches and the Knights Illuminor, based upon the belief that magic was heresy and a sign that its users were demons or otherwise servants of Satan. The rise of persecution of wizardkind and a desire to exterminate magic and its practitioners represented the end of the Golden Age of Magic. Middle Ages Human wizards often came into contact with other humanoid-magical beings, often leading to skirmishes between groups and bitter rivalry between races. These non-human magical communities tended to be in somewhat isolated regions, typically cold, which enabled use of their magical abilities thanks to the cool temperature allowing the easy extraction and refinement of Areum in their homelands. Biomancy was a magical study practiced commonly by early wizarding communities. Tampering and experimentation of animal and plant DNA resulted in bizarre and often dangerous human created beasts such as griffons, phoenixes, manticores, and other magical creatures. Biomancy was to be limited to plants and animals 'beneath' humanoids; the manipulation of human flesh was considered to be a grave taboo, known as the Flesh Taboo, punishable by death or banishment. Alchemy was another study focused on transmuting material and similar with some aspects of biomancy, attaining immortality, the cure for disease, rejuvination and health. Vlad the Impaler used magic to create vampires during his reign of terror, and established the myth of the magical species, despite himself being their creator and not one himself. This was a violation of the Flesh Taboo. Age of Sail With the advent of international trade and sailing ships that could cross the known world, magic slowly began to become more accessible to the average wizard, with Rm becoming increasingly more common, thus leading to a rise in the population of practicing wizards. During this time, an unnamed mage in Europe broke the Flesh Taboo, creating humanoid animal species with biomancy. To this day, magical traces lie heavily in the modern Anthro-feralis species, which have a higher disposition towards magic than humans. Scientific Revolution Magic was studied more extensively during the Scientific Revolution. Many magical theories were developed around this time, such as the concept of subspace. Greater understanding of the natural world helped augment magical power, as magical powers required intent and an understanding of the natural world's laws in order to effectively break said laws. Alchemy, a magical art related closely to chemistry, became more refined during this period. Other theories, such as the thought that the source of magical energy was the sun were debunked, as thorough experimentation became common. Biomancy made similarly significant strides thanks to the work of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, whose experiments in reanimation of tissue, while not truly bringing someone back from the dead due to the inability of magic to reverse or cheat death, were still crucial to medical science and understanding of the human body. Industrial Revolution and Global Revelation During the Industrial Revolution, the practice of magic became more commonplace thanks to Areum and high quality, less expensive wands becoming readily available to wizards. Magic began to be practiced constantly and by a significantly higher percentage of people as a result. This caused the wizarding world to be pushed into the spotlight, and the secrecy of magical communities to be compromised as general society now had to deal with them in significant numbers as opposed to ignoring them as previously done. Magic could no longer be kept separate. This exponential growth is known as the Resurgence of Wizardkind, and resulted in the joining of the magical and non-magical worlds into one. This revolution ended historical persecution of wizards as they became mainstream. As a result, many governments around the world established magical divisions to address their wizarding communities. An example of this is the United States' Department of Magical Affairs. 20th Century and World Wars When World War I broke out, many states of course were immediately interested in using magic, and several made specific efforts to draft wizards. The United States did not institute a specialized wizarding draft. Magic was used on the battlefield, with wizard soldiers utilizing their wands and spells instead of the standard-issue weapons, and using their spells to manipulate their surrounding environments to their advantage. However aside from their already-existing abilities, mechanized warfare was still mostly non-magical due to wizards being only a fairly recent introduction to society. This would change in the Second World War. World War II saw the rise of magical technology in warfare, and magically-enhanced weaponry. This took the form of energy weapons, both magi-tek rifles given to troops, and large-scale magical guns mounted on aircraft, tanks, and warships. The Empire of Japan was surprisingly the first magical superpower to rise, but made the mistake of awakening another magical superpower with even more resources and wizards to use them: the United States of America. December 7th, 1941 is considered a crucial date in American and wizarding history, as it represents the moment when - - - - The war was ended by three nuclear bombs, two of them magically-enhanced, dropped on Japan. Post WWII and 1985 Awakening Incident Post war, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics engaged in a cold-war and arms race of both nuclear weapons and magi-tek equipment, both superpowers determined to outdo the other in both nuclear and supernatural combat capacity. During this time Xaikon Heavy Industries was formed and became a leading American corporation in the study and manufacture of magical technology. In 1985, metahumans awakened and rampaged across the world, leading to global chaos. During the Awakening Incident wizards fought back against metahumans, and magic became a force to be reckoned with and, sometimes, the only hope for stopping super-powered warlords and menaces from taking over. In the aftermath of the war against metahumans, the Boeing 2707 entered service as a symbolic sign of the United States' recovery and reconstruction. Much of its existence is owed to magi-tek manufacturing, which enabled its production to become a reality. Modern Day Many schools around the globe, including and especially state universities and colleges, have a magical department for wizards who wish to practice magic or a specific subtype of magic as their career. Accredited higher education institutions offer degrees in the study of magic, and wizardry is a highly versatile study that is in demand by many non-magic organizations and industries because of the benefits of magical enhancement (such as manufacturing and metalworking, which uses magic to aid with purity and quality control, and to enhance materials such as titanium.) Magic is used by many military, paramilitary and police forces, with wizards being assigned to specialized divisions with purpose built magical equipment. Magic also has accelerated technology greatly, aiding in numerous scientific breakthroughs and the proliferation of green energy. Numerous things that would otherwise be impossible have been brought about by the integration of magic into society. Runes are used in a modern form as ciphers resembling a complex barcode that are laser-imprinted onto the functional surfaces of magi-tec equipment. The imprinting of these runes, when done with specific intent, takes advantage of spatial memory resonance in order to effectively 'program' Red Matter to perform a specific function as dictated, therefore not requiring wizards to need to concentrate on specific intent. Translocation is a new field of magic which involves transmitting real matter from one point in space to another using quantum tunneling. This newest skill is in its infancy and can be only practiced by a rare few wizards, but holds potential for future wizards to utilize. Components of magic * Magic requires 'specific intent' and 'mana. Specific Intent Magic is a force that changes properties. As implied by the phrase, specific intent is having a defined and exact objective to carry out a task. This is integral to using magic, as it is both the drive and the controlling factor in conducting magical energy, creating the willpower to summon it and then the mental capacity and concentration to control it to do specific tasks. Wizards must be deliberate and know exactly what elements of reality they wish to change using magical energy, or mana. Mana Mana is the traditional term that refers to magical energy. When magic is performed, energy is drawn from subspace and used to apply a force that manipulates the properties of space time and in effect temporarily suspends the laws of nature as long as the energy is being applied. Mana can be used to create other forces, such as energy in the form of heat, kinetic motion, electricity, light and so on. In most Human cultures throughout history it was regarded as a sort of sacred life or spiritual energy. Almost all cultures across the planet have some record of what they describe as a powerful supernatural force. For instance, in Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures, mana was regarded as a spiritual healing energy and in many Christian sects it is referred to as 'the breath of God'. Mana is used in spellcasting, but it can also be directed without spellcasting to perform certain functions with the use of runes. Forms of magic * ''Spells / Spellcasting'' are wizards consciously exerting a force and are created directly by the will and thought of a wizard. * ''Runes / Enchantments'' are magical ciruits that carry out a function with little input and only need to be activated by a wizard to do so. Spellcasting Spelllcasting is the term for short bursts of magic that wizards control consciously and direct to apply magical force. Spells are the vehicle in which a wizard's powers are delivered and enchantments are performed. Each spell changes a specific aspect of the fabric of spacetime and reality at some fundemental level. Spellcasting uses magical energy, or mana. Spells require specific intent and wizards to actively control, unlike runes which are enchantments that carry out functions without wizard input. Runes Read more: Runes Runes are a term for a form of 'written' magic where magical items enchanted with them will carry out a specific magical function with very little if any input from the wizard that is using it. Runes utilize spatial memory resonance, a self-organizing and reinforcing effect which a wizard can transfer his or her intent to magically bound writing or symbols that enchant an object to perform a certain function. Utilizing magic Magic requires intent. While spatial memory resonance allows for easier spellcasting over time and even enchanting an object with the use of runes, a wizard or witch must understand exactly what he or she wants to accomplish with their magical energy; thus knowledge of the sciences allows wizards to know rules before breaking them. Though science has greatly improved powers of magic, there are limits as the pace scientific knowledge itself is not extensive enough to allow for greater feats until further information is discovered about the universe. * '''Magic requires channeling devices in order to utilize and concentrate magical energy in enough quantities to be effective or noticeable. No wizard is capable of magic without Areum, otherwise known as Red Matter. The Red Matter cores act as a 'lighting rod' where an epicenter of magical energy is charged and released. * Magic requires specific intent. A wizard in effect, must know exactly what he wants to happen and needs to will it to happen, consciously and deliberately. ** Scientific studies and a knowledge of how the environment around oneself works greatly enhances a wizard's power, as their greater knowledge of the universe at large allows them to understand chemical processes behind reactions, the composition of materials and other sciences, which contribute to their abilities. As a result many wizards are also scientists and the more versatile and varied ones are highly educated. ** Intense emotions and while casting magic can sometimes have the effect of making spells and enchantments more powerful. * Magic manipulates tangible materials and forces. A key point that must be emphasized is that magic is a force, and this force acts on existing matter and energy to create a certain effect, sometimes bypassing the laws of physics temporarily in order accomplish tasks. For example: ** Pyrokinetic wizards draw the combustion materials from their surroundings and atmosphere, as well as generating heat with their magical energy. ** Aquakinetic and ice wizards draw water from the atmosphere. If there is no water vapor in the air, they may resort to combining hydrogen and oxygen atoms into water molecules, essentially synthesizing water on the spot, but this takes significantly more energy. ** Electricity wielding wizards ionize gaseous atoms and create charges within the atmosphere to generate electricity and lightning. * Magic has an area of effect called the Red Line. Wizards cannot affect the environment outside of their area of effect, and magic grows weaker as the distance from a wizard increases; the closer the source of Areum to the wizard, the more effectively magic can be channeled. If the source of Areum is beyond the Red Line, then a wizard cannot manipulate it. Manipulating objects beyond the Red Line is out of the range of a wizard's abilities. Hard limits of magic There are defined limits to what magic can and cannot do. Simply put, a constant law of magical power is that it is only temporary; anything that is not possible according to the laws of physics, chemistry or biology will immediately collapse and revert to a state that is naturally possible when the magical energy force sustaining it ceases. * Impermanence of spells and enchantments. Magical enchantments and curses require a constant force applied in order for the effects to remain.' '''Though runes can apply a specific effect on something and magical energy reserves can keep the magic going, the wizard applying the spell must remain within the Red Line's limits and devote a certain amount of their consciousness to maintaining it. When a wizard is distracted, incapacitated or killed, the effects are immediately lifted. It is because of this items cannot be 'cursed' for centuries as commonly depicted legend, unless a spirit is bound to the item and is focusing magical energy from nearby, using its consciousness to manipulate it. Enchantments activate only when a wizard directs them to. * '''Impermanence of conjured objects.' Conjured objects such as water, flame, metal, and others will only last a short time before dissolution and are imperfect replicas of what they are mimicking. They will degrade faster than the real materials they mimic, and are less resistant to breakage, cracking, fatigue, rusting, and general deterioration. Because magic cannot create matter, these conjured materials must be made from magical energy within the fabric of space-time itself. The conjured faux element will disintegrate and vanish as soon as the magical force being applied ceases. It is because of this that it is more preferable to simply move material around or summon it from nearby than to conjure it. * Temporary force only: '''For instance, transfigured objects will collapse back into whatever form is scientifically possible as soon as magical energy ceases to be applied. Magical energy is only a force, it is not a permanent binding solution. Mass can be added or removed by converting it into magical energy and shunting it into subspace, or temporarily drawing extra mass from it but the more mass to manipulate, the more energy it takes. The difficulty of doing so increases exponentially with this. * '''Magic cannot create or destroy matter. '''Magic cannot materialize matter of out nowhere, though it can convert subspace energy to a corporeal, less-than-perfect conjured form that will eventually degrade and dissipate back into subspace. It cannot technically make objects cease to exist but can similarly deconstruct it into energy for a limited time. * '''Magic cannot create or destroy energy. '''Magic cannot create or destroy energy, but it can transmute it temporarily into matter or it can dissipate it back into the magical aether of subspace. * '''Magic cannot reverse death. Corpses can be reanimated, but death is permanent, and they are hardly more than zombies and are without minds of their own. There is no way to return a deceased spirit into a corporeal form after it has passed the boundary line between life and death. * Magic cannot cheat death. Though lifespans can be greatly extended using magic and wounds healed, diseases cured, magic has an upper limit when it comes to prolonging life. Becoming a spirit is not immortality. Though only mostly wizards can become ghosts, non-magical people can potentially as well, and the spirits and ghosts mentioned above are only faint whispers of what was once living and are not truly alive. Magical studies and research See individual articles for more information. * [[Alchemy|'Alchemy']] is the art of transmuting and changing the properties of elements and materials, often converting them from one element to another. * [[Biomancy|'Biomancy']] is the art of modifying living organisms with magic. ** Magiflora is the study of magical planets and fungi, and creation of them. ** Magifauna is the study of magical creatures and creation of them. ** Human mutation is a forbidden realm of biomancy as it breaks the sacred vows by the wizarding world to not tamper with human flesh. Despite this there are wizards who have tried to varying levels of success. * [[Magi-Tec|'Technomancy']] is the art of enhancing and accelerating technological and mechanical development by applying magic and combining it with engineering. * Transfiguration is the art of transforming and shifting the shape and appearance of an object into something else. It is similar to Alchemy, but is significantly more complex and requires highly advanced knowledge. * Translocation is the art of instantly transporting objects from one defined location to another. An extremely new branch of magic, the study of translocation is in its infancy and early years as of 2029, only able to be done on small scales. Dark magic Read more: 'Dark magic''' Magic is not inherently evil or good. It is simply a force, like heat, electricity, pressure and so on. However certain acts of magic and practices tend to be performed by individuals who would be considered 'evil' and are often tied to other unethical and distasteful non-magical practices, or used to carry them out, such as genocide, slavery, murder, etc. Using runes to modify objects to harm, maim or kill is known as ''cursing an object. * Dark magic is the term referring to magic that is viewed as unethical and often corrupting or damaging to either the wizard that casts the spell or others nearby, be it fellow wizards or non-magical sapients. Any violation of wizard laws and taboos are considered to be dark magic, most notably biomancers that break the Flesh Taboo by using magic to interfere with Humanoid biology and to use magic to reshape another Humanoid being. Many of the creatures that have been created by breaking this oath are vicious, aggressive and incredibly dangerous to those who are unfortunate enough to come across them. * Because all magic require intent of some kind, Dark magic spells would of course require malicious intent. Negative emotions, like positive emotions, can augment the power of the spells cast if the caster's feelings are exceptionally intense. * Dark magic users also tend to channel more mana through their bodies than is safe to do so, resulting in sometimes irreversible damage caused to their bodies that result in disfigurement, illness, and sickly, warped and ugly appearances. The closest example would be a computer chip overclocking and suffering permanent damage and overheating as a result. A severe example of this are vampires, whose skeletal and bony pale appearances resulted from dangerous amounts of Rm interfering with normal Human biology in order to create them. Practice of certain, but not all types, of Dark magic (such as spells to torture by activating all pain receptors in someone's nervous system) are prohibited by law in most countries and other less blatant examples (such as using magic to enhance weapons such as guns) are at least very frowned upon in the wizarding world. Category:Magic